College Students: Weapons Ban Will Not Automatically Make Baltimore Safe

Maryland lawmakers recently passed tough gun control laws to reduce gun violence, but many young people, including college students do not believe the laws will automatically lead to safer streets in Baltimore. The law, which is scheduled to go into effect Oct. 1, will give Maryland some of the nation’s most restrictive gun measures.

The state will ban magazines that hold more than 10 bullets and will ban 45 types of semiautomatic rifles, classifying them as assault weapons. It will also require those seeking to buy any gun other than a hunting rifle or shotgun to obtain a license, a process that will include submitting fingerprints to police, passing classroom and firing-range training and undergoing more extensive background checks.

As Michael Pearman of Baltimore put it: "When I got my gun I was under age and when I was of age, there was no point in getting it registered when I was doing illegal things."